


Dark Eyes

by DragonOfChanges



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angelic Grace, Angst, Demon Castiel, I'm Sorry, M/M, Mark of Cain, Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-09 04:49:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8876638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonOfChanges/pseuds/DragonOfChanges
Summary: Another cure for the Mark...at a cost.Set after 10x03. Canon divergent from there...This is set BEFORE Deaths rant about the Darkness.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas finds a different cure for the Mark.

Castiel had just returned from Heaven. There, in libraries that no human soul would ever see, he had found an answer. It had taken him weeks of looking, but he finally had it! He had found a cure, of sorts, for the Mark of Cain. Dean could finally be free of it! He’d had to hide his real reason for research from his brothers and sisters, and had pretended to be there to seek other things. What he actually sought had been forbidden to all. The oldest of Heavens lore was kept secret even from the Archangels. That’s why it had been locked away in the furthest recesses of the library, behind Grace proof doors. Thank Father that Dean Winchester had taught him how to pick locks the human way one snowy afternoon.The spell he needed had been written in his Fathers own hand, before he had chosen His Scribe. Castiel had modified it slightly as he copied it down, to suit his purposes, but it would work. He was sure of it. This spell, this Old Magick, was dangerous. It came at a price, as all great magick does. To see Dean free of the Mark was worth that price. Worth any price he could pay.

In his research, Castiel had found that the Mark was more dangerous than they had thought. It turned out that the Mark served as lock and key, locking away a vast destructive force, the Darkness. The Darkness pre-dated God, and angel. God and his Angels had locked it away to stop it from obliterating all of His creations. The Mark had originally been entrusted to Lucifer, who had been corrupted by it and subsequently banished to Hell. Lucifer had somehow passed it to Cain, who had passed it to Dean. But ridding Dean of the Mark was not a simple matter of erasing it from his arm. The Mark must never be completely destroyed. If destroyed, the door would open, and the Darkness would once more roam free. All of Creation would perish. The Mark could be passed on, but only to one who was worthy, one who had taken many lives…a murderer. 

He'd set up for the spell in an empty, remote room of the Bunker where he was unlikely to be disturbed, even though Sam and Dean were away on their first “vacation” in…forever. The room had been cleansed, smudged, and Enochian symbols painted on the floor and the walls to contain the raw power that this spell would call forth. He had cleansed and purified his vessel, and meditated to clear his mind. Carefully, precisely, he painted the necessary symbols on his bare flesh, a paint of rams blood, sulphur, and certain rare, aromatic herbs. These symbols had not been used since the beginning, to bind the Darkness away eons ago. Lucifer alone had bourn them. More herbs were burned in a brass chalice. On his right forearm he painted the Mark. He took his Blade, and cut across his palm. Grace seeped out with the blood. He drizzled both over the smoldering herbs. Cas took a deep breath, and began the call.

“I Castiel, son of Elohim, call to myself the First Curse, given to Lucifer in order to preserve the world. I give of my blood, of my Grace as an offering and as a payment. I claim now as my own the Mark that is the Lock and the Key. I have proven myself worthy of this Mark, this curse, with the blood of others that I have spilled. OI AMEMA BOLAPE OZIEN CRP, PAID.”

The Mark began to glow beneath the paint on Cas arm as it answered his call, coming to him. He felt dizzy, sick. He doubled over, clutching his arm as the pain there suddenly spiked. Energy swirled in dark ropes around the room as the Mark was being absorbed by Castiels being. His vision swam, and dimmed. He had damned himself, for eternity. Damned himself, for Dean. But Dean was safe now. Clean. Cured. As was Cain, and his own brother Lucifer in the cage in Hell. Only he bore this burden, now. No one else need be hurt by it, ever. He felt the cold touch of the Mark on his Grace. The Curse was being absorbed by it, changing the essence of his Being. Corrupting it. Softly he whispered.

“I’m sorry, Dean.” His eyes darkened, becoming empty. He sank into the blackness of his own being, and knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The usual non ownership disclaimer stuff here...
> 
> Translation:OI AMEMA BOLAPE OZIEN CRP, PAID” This curse be mine alone, forever. (Enochian)
> 
> More?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean discovers his cure, and its cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a request to continue this fic, so...here ya go!

Many miles away, in a small cabin by a lake, Sam and Dean Winchester slept. For the first time in a long time, Dean slept peacefully. He woke early and well rested. After going to take a quick piss, he decided to shower and returned to the bedroom to grab a clean set of clothes from his bag. Sam slept on in the rooms other bed, snoring softly. Dean smiled at the sight of his “little” brothers peaceful face. He returned quietly to the bathroom. He’d have time for a nice long shower today. Sam wouldn’t be up for a while yet. Stripping down, he adjusted the water to his liking and stepped in. He felt really good this morning. Better than he had in...well, almost forever. He soaped up, bringing his hand down the smooth skin of his right forearm. Smooth. Wait a second… He rinsed off, and peered at the unmarred flesh of his arm. What the Hell? The Mark was gone! He shut the water off and quickly wrapped a towel around his waist, not bothering to dry off. He stepped out of the shower.

“SAMMY!!!” He yelled. Sam came barreling in to the bathroom a moment later, eyes wide, gun in hand, breathing hard.

“Dean! What’s wrong?” Sam looked panicked, having been abruptly drawn from a deep sleep.

“It’s gone, Sammy. I don’t know how, but it’s gone.” He grinned at his brother. Sam relaxed somewhat, aiming the gun down at the bathroom floor and engaging the safety. Dean was ok. Now, why had he yelled for him? Sam was confused, and a bit pissed off at being woken up so suddenly.

“What’s gone?” Dean showed Sam the smooth expanse of his arm where the Mark had once lain.

“The Mark. It’s just…gone.” Sam looked puzzled.

“How? Magic like that doesn’t just vanish on its own.” Dean shrugged and walked out of the bathroom, carrying his clothes with him.

“I don’t know. I really don’t care. I’m free of it, that’s what matters.” He stopped. “We gotta call Cas. Share this awesome news!” Sam smirked at him.

“ He's an angel, Dean. Why don’t you just pray?” Dean smiled. Fine. He’d pray, and THIS time, praying was NOT going to be begging.

“Ok.” Dean bowed his head slightly closing his eyes. Sam followed suit. ”Castiel, we have some good news for once. Great news, actually. Could you zap your feathery butt down here for a second so that we can share?” Dean opened his eyes and waited. Long minutes passed. Nothing. Dean sighed. He gave Sam an 'I told you so' look.

“Ok I’ll call him, then.” Wrapping the towel tighter, Dean returned to his bed. He picked his phone up off the nightstand and dialed the angels number. Two rings, three rings. ”Pick up dammit!” The voicemail came on after five rings. It was a new message, not the confused, awkward one he’d set when Dean had first gotten him the phone. 

“Hello, Dean. I’m sorry I couldn’t answer your call. Or your prayers. If you’re hearing this, I’ll assume that what I did, worked. I just wanted you to know... that I had to do something. I couldn’t stand to see you suffer anymore. Not even one more day with that…thing on your arm eating away at your soul. I’m not sure what will happen next. What will become of me. If the worst does happen, I need you to know that I’m so very sorry, Dean. And that I love you." The message ended with no beep. Dean looked at Sam, his eyes wide, his face gone pale.

“Dean? What?” Dean tossed his phone at the wall with a snarl, smashing it.

“Dammit, Cas. Not like this! I didn’t want this! I wanted…wanted…SON OF A BITCH!!“ Tears flowed from the elder Winchesters eyes. Sam looked at him, confused. Dean couldn’t speak, Couldn't find the words. When he finally found his voice again it was soft, subdued.

“Cas… did something. A spell, or something. He’s the one who cured me of the Mark. But I think…I think it cost him, big. Really big. Winchester big. And Winchester stupid.” He looked up at Sam, his eyes still wet with tears. ”Be ready to go in five, Sam. We gotta get home. We gotta help him.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean discover Cas' sacrifice, and work on finding a cure.

After a long caffeine fueled drive made mostly above the speed limit Dean barely had Baby in park before he was jumping out, crashing through the door, and running down the stairs of the Bunkers front entrance. 

“CAS!!” He yelled, thoroughly panicked at the thought of what he might find. An injured angel. Burnt wingprints...Dean shook his head to clear it. He listened, but there was no answer, only the echo of his voice. Then silence. “CAS!!” More echoes. More silence. 

“Ok Sammy, lets split up and search this place from top to bottom. Let’s find our wayward angel. He has to be HERE, somewhere. This is his home…our home. There’s nowhere else he WOULD be.” 

The next four hours were spent searching the Bunker. Deans room. Cas’ room. Kitchen. Bathrooms…. with no sign of him. Finally, as Dean was searching the far reaches of a storage area, he came across what had been a well concealed hidden door, now slightly ajar. He opened it slowly, weapon in hand. Inside the otherwise empty room sat Cas, motionless and silent. His eyes were closed. Enochian runes ringed the floor around him, and covered the walls of the small space. Spell components lay scattered about. The air was still heavy with the scent of burning herbs. Dean lowered his weapon. 

“Cas?” He whispered. There was no response. “CAS!!” Only silence from the angel. Dean moved quickly toward him, only to be stopped at the edge of the rune circle by an unseen wall. He bounced off it, only barely staying upright. At that moment, Sam walked in and steadied his brother as he half fell toward the door. 

“I found him, Sammy.” His eyes were sad. “Cas, you child, what have you done, now?” Sam looked closely at Cas. His eyes narrowed. He saw the sigils surrounding him. The ones drawn on his bare skin. And on his arm…the Mark, glowing faintly. 

“Dean.” Sam whispered, pointing, “Look at his arm.” Deans face fell as he spied the Mark that had come so near to possessing him, so near to destroying him, on the arm of the former warrior of God. The fool angel had taken on the Mark in his place! Deans voice was sharp with anger.

“Son of a BITCH! Why would he do this, Sam?” Sam smiled sadly.

“You know why, Dean.” Sam said as he picked up a sheet of parchment that lay outside the warding. The spell itself. Good. That gave them somewhere to start. Tears of anger and fustration flowed from the elder Winchesters eyes.

“Yeah, I do. For the same reason that we are gonna FIX this.” Sam nodded in agreement.

 

Dean had moved a mattress into the room just beyond the one Cas occupied. He spent all his time there, except for the occasional bathroom trip, or a foray to find more research materials. Sam brought him meals which he only picked at, and covered him up when he finally collapsed from exhaustion. The door to Cas’ space was always kept open. When Sam remarked on it, and on the fact that Dean now lived down here, Dean replied “Its cause I don’t want him to feel that he’s alone, Sammy. That’s the worst feeling in the world, to be totally alone…” As he had felt alone, so often, even when surrounded by family.

Three weeks went by. Cas never moved, never spoke. His eyes stayed closed. Meanwhile, Sam had translated the page Cas had written the spell on with great difficulty. Enochian had never been his forte. They found that, normally, the Mark would simply be a curse. Easy enough to remove. The wording of Cas spell, however, had changed that. He had locked the Mark onto himself, after removing it from all other Bearers, and had thrown away the key. Even if they had a way to remove it, the warding surrounding Cas had proved impenetrable by any means at their disposal. So,not only was he cursed, but Dean was unable to touch him. To hold him. Unable to give any comfort, to Cas or to himself. If Cas even knew he was there…

 

They ‘d even tried summoning Crowley, in their desperation. After testing the wards, examining the spell, and conferring with his mother, Rowena, he had shrugged and said. ”Nothing to be done here, mate. Its gonna take a miracle to get him out of this one. But even if you could remove the Mark, it’s not a good idea to do so. You don’t want to open THAT can of worms.” When Dean asked exactly WHY it wasn’t a good idea, Crowley explained to them the true nature of the Mark, how it was lock and key for a very powerful, very destructive force. They were so screwed.

 

Bad went to worse, or so it seemed, a few days later. Sam had fallen asleep sitting at one of the tables in the library. He was rudely awakened by a booming knock at the Bunker door. Grabbing his pistol from the back of his jeans, he hastily made his way up the stairs. Whoever it was continued to knock loudly. Who would know to knock? Who would know that there was even someone to answer? Kevin and Bobby were gone. Charlie would have called first. So, who…? Sam opened the door, and the figure standing on the other side had the air leaving his lungs in a rush. Lucifer.

“Hello, Sam.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer helps Cas, and himself.

“DEEAAAANN!!” Sam yelled from the Bunker doorway.

“Can it, Samwise.” Lucifer snapped. “I don’t want to hurt you, or Dean. I’m here for my brother Castiel. He removed my Mark, and in doing so, freed me from the Cage. I’m here to thank him.” Sam moved into the doorway to block Lucifers' way, only to be pushed aside by an unseen force and pinned to a nearby wall. Lucifer strolled in, undeterred by the angel warding that the Winchesters and Castiel had put up. He strode down the stairs and flung Dean aside when he tried to ambush him at the bottom with an angel blade.

“A Seraphs' blade won’t work on me, Dean.” He said pointing at the blade which lay at his feet. “Nice try, though.”

“Leave him alone.” Dean panted from where he lay in a heap on the war room floor. Lucifer paused.

“ I can’t do that, Dean. He freed me from my prison. Now he will get the reward he deserves. Be good, and I’ll let both of you live-for now. Misbehave and…well, neither Michael nor I NEED our True Vessels anymore. That ship sailed at Stull Cemetery.” Sam finally made it to the bottom of the stairs.

“Please, don’t do this. You have no reason to hurt Cas.“ Lucifer hesitated, confused by Sams statement. He tilted his head in that oh so familiar angelic gesture of puzzlement.

“Hurt him? No, I’m not going to harm an atom of his being. He is my brother, after all. I’m here to help him. To free him from his servitude to all of you mud monkeys. To bring him to the glory that he could never have achieved serving our absent Father. I’m here to save him from it all. Come along, and witness the dawn of a new era.“ Lucifer began walking again, heading unerringly for the room where Cas sat unknowing. The Winchesters picked themselves up and scrambled after him, hoping to catch up before he reached Cas. By the time they reached the room, Lucifer was already inside. They tried to enter as well, but found themselves pushed to their knees in the doorway.

“Cas! No. Please!” Dean begged.

“Be quiet, ape, and learn your place in the new order. On your knees is a good start.” He turned to Castiel, who sat still and silent, as he had since the day he had taken the Mark. “Hello, brother.” He said softly. ”I’ve come to repay my debt to you. It’s time for you to wake up.” He raised his hand and slowly brought it to the barrier surrounding Castiel. As the Winchesters watched, he extended his arm through the circle. Blue light crackled where he breached it, and a whine filled the air. With a wink and a smile back at the brothers, Lucifer stepped through. There was a noise like a firecracker, and then Lucifer stood next to Castiel, inside the circle. He put a hand on Castiels head, and bowed his own. His voice rumbled out, and shook the room. The Winchesters felt the resonance of his words to the core of their being.

“TOREZODU, ESIASACAHE, NOCO DE A ORESA!!”

The lights flickered and dimmed. A red glow surrounded the duo. Lucifers head remained bowed, hiding his knowing smile. Castiels, however, rose. For the first time since this ordeal began his eyes opened, looking at the Winchesters where they knelt. The vast blue was gone. Now there was only the blackness of the Pit. In a single graceful motion Castiel stretched and rose to his feet. He gave Lucifer a nod of thanks. Looking again at the brothers, he smirked. Lucifer put a hand on his shoulder.

"Time to go home, brother." Cas gave the boys one last look.

“Goodbye, Dean. Sam.”

The lights went out, and when they flickered back on moments later, Sam and Dean were alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TOREZODU, ESIASACAHE, NOCO DE A ORESA.  
> Arise, Brother, Servant of the Shadows. (ENOCHIAN)

**Author's Note:**

> The usual non ownership disclaimer stuff here...
> 
> More?


End file.
